Public Art Fund’s 2025 Party celebrated the extraordinary artists who transform landmark sites across New York City, bringing the dynamism of its upcoming exhibition season inside for one night only. As the organization’s largest fundraiser, the event plays a crucial role in sustaining its mission of offering vibrant contemporary art to the public at no cost, while generating essential funds that support a range of cultural initiatives throughout New York City’s five boroughs year-round.
Guests mixed and mingled with cocktails from Diageo brands Ketel One, Zacapa, Tanqueray, Don Julio, and Johnnie Walker, beer by Heineken, and non-alcoholic spirits by Ghia. Event highlights included artist activations, ping pong games with artist-designed paddle keepsakes by Carlos H. Matos, Ilana Harris-Babou, Las Hermanas Iglesias, Moko Fukuyama and Amalia Pica (a preview of this summer’s interactive Between Tides exhibition at Rockaway Beach), a silent auction with work by 41 contemporary artists, and a 300-person seated dinner by Canard Inc., followed by an After Party.
Artist Paul Anthony Smith offered creative direction to the Party, highlighting joy, play, and celebration as liberation through event design, menus and table decor. Artist Carmen Winant’s immersive portrait experience invited guests to step inside one of her photographic scenes, collectively forming a backdrop collage installation as the evening progressed.
The After Party featured DJ sets from MeLo-X and Juliana Huxtable, and specialty ice cream bar desserts by August Novelties from Chef Malcolm Livingston II. Livingston was formerly a head pastry chef at wd-50 and Noma, Copenhagen, and is a co-founder of Ghetto Gastro.
The anticipated event kicked off Public Art Fund’s spring and summer season in New York City, featuring exhibitions by Smith, Torkwase Dyson, Thaddeus Mosley, Between Tides group exhibition artists, and Monira Al Qadiri, examining themes of communality and belonging, geography, landscape, and our relation to the natural world.
Image credit: Bre Johnson/BFA for Public Art Fund
